A refrigerator is not mandatory, but it sure is nice. You can always opt to eat meals similar to what you might have backpacking--lots of dehydrated fruits and freeze-dried stuff to which you add boiling water. You can choose canned meats to supplement that (or foil-packaged meats, if you can find them). Shitake mushrooms make a great meat substitute--if you haven't tried them, you should. You'll have to do without cold water, which on a hot trip can be quite refreshing.

You can also opt for an ice chest. That will work for a couple days, so if your trips are limited to that, that's the cheapest alternative. If trips are longer and you're away from ice supplies (see below), you can start off with the filled ice chest, then transition to backpacking style for the remainder of the trip.

But, at the end of the day, a good refrigerator is a real luxury. Overland Journal did a test on them a year or two ago--probably worth looking up that issue. But, do be aware that there are cheaper things called vehicle refigerators that do not come close to being real refrigerators. While they may get items down to the low 50s, then cannot really keep meats very long, and certainly will never keep ice cream (yes, good vehicle refrigerators can be set as freezers). Also bear in mind that the typical Freon refrigerator does not like being tossed around, as in four wheeling. They tend to fail quickly. So, there are special compressors that are designed for this use--Danforth compressors--and they are designed to operate in environments where the unit is up to 30 degrees off camber. Don't try that with your kitchen Kenmore!

Regarding trips: There certainly are some classic overland style trips here in the U.S. Some would argue that since you're not away from civilization a week on these, they are not true overlanding. I'll let others quibble about that. We don't live in Africa, where such remoteness is expected. But, with a little creative use of roads (I prefer back roads over Interstates whenever possible), it's possible to put together some pretty good adventures. The 100 mile Shafer Pass/White Rim Trail combo in the Moab area, combined with some of the other Moab trails, lends itself to this type of overlanding. Heck, I spent two days on WRT and it wasn't enough--really should have spent three. Mojave Trail near Needles, California, is another long trail where two nights or more can be put together. Big Bend National Park is full of off-road trails that can be used to create a several day adventure into what is probably the most remote you'll ever be here in the continental U.S. (if you go by yourself, you must leave a set of bootprints when you pick up your backcountry permit so they can identify you a couple years later when they find what's left of them--the rest of you will surely have been eaten).

I do have the advantage of being retired, and being financially able to take a few trips each year. Some of these are to visit with family. But, to give you an idea of my travels, I just finished the K-Trail on President's Day weekend, I have a trip to Mojave Trail coming up in the very near future (and it will include a side trip to spend the night in Canyon de Chelly with a Navajo guide), and I am planning Big Bend in October, K-Trail in Feb 2013, and a cobbled together off-road/back-road trip to Grand Canyon north rim, Capitol Reef National Park, and White Rim Trail in Apr 2013. And, not expressly overlanding, but this summer a friend and I are driving the Alaskan Highway all of the way to at least the Arctic Circle--and maybe all of the way to Deadhorse (town by Prudhoe Bay)--and then returning by ferry.

Finally, as if that wasn't enough, those of us here in Oklahoma who are committed overlanders are mulling trips to Overland Expo in April (Flagstaff AZ), and perhaps something on the 4800 miles of the TransAm Trail (transamtrail.com/) next year.

And, that's really the key: Find a group of local folks interested in the same adventures, then start making plans. IOW: Get out there!

 

Mark;
I absolutely love your jeep... It is awseome, and is exactly what i have in mind for my own....

 

Hi Mark, certainly. I don't dispute that at all. I too prefer the hardtop for adventure travel for the same reasons; security, mounting ability. But, in the summer time, once the hardtop comes off I like to feel the sun on my face because my Jeep is also my DD. I wish I could retire too but like Lou Reed says: "some people like to go out dancing' but people like me we gotta work!"

We all travel different areas/purposes. I run on the WABDR and the OBCDR (aka OBDR). Google search those and you'll get a better idea of where we travel & how.

So for the summer months when I want the top down, having a stout mil spec cargo web system keeps things off the floor, secure, and most importantly, easily accessed. That to me is the biggest challenge; I'll do a fantastic job of pretrip packing but after 24 hours in the field, grabbing this & unpacking that to get this etc. the JK can start to look all types of cluttered. As we know, clutter means you start losing stuff! First your leatherman, then the tool roll. Then a 4 wt fly rod or fly reel goes missing! you know what I'm talking' bout!

Anyway, I don't disagree with your sentiment & use of hardtop at all.

 

MSI Netbook 10"

 

Thanks. It's a work in progress that has been underway for five years now. :-)

 

You don't live anywhere near Marysville, do you? I'm going to be up there in a couple weeks. And combining the WABDR and OBDR is on my long-range radar.

 

Here's a few pics of my setup. cheap tablet with GPS works awesome. Rear slide our drawer will hold a Coleman stove on the bottom and storage in the top.

 

Nice setup. Cheap tablet is a good move. I only went with the Netbook because it was fully mapping setup, from a buddy, for $125. Couldn't beat that.

 

Well it is most defiantly a sweet ride

 

nope. We're in Clackamas County. But, if you're planning on the routes, we are going to do OBCDR SN on our KLR's and BMW's at the end of June. It should (should) be 6 days. Could be 4 or 7. But, we're trying to make it up to LaGrande at least, but Walla Walla at most.

Shoot me a PM if you're around these parts 6-20-2012 to 6-27-2012